Dario: "You Can Still Play Football In Bottom Tier"

16 June 2016

Dario Gradi says playing good football is the best policy.

Dario Gradi firmly believes that teams can still win promotion from the English Football League by playing good football. The club’s director of football has always been a footballing purist and he wants Crewe Alexandra to try and play their way to promotion next season. He also admits that gaining promotion from any division in England is tough going.

Gradi, who masterminded promotions to see Crewe Alexandra reach the second tier in 1997, says that having players with good technique always gives you a chance.

Dario told crewealex.net: “People have commented that there are a number of our former players, who are pundits now and I don’t think that is a coincidence. We are a footballing club and we talk about football. The likes of Danny Murphy have been doing that from a very young age.

“We are not a club that has to win at all costs, content to bash the ball up the pitch, fight and pressure. We have to produce footballers, who are good enough for us to sell.

“We have to make that a good way to win games as well and it’s got to happen because we need to sell players to survive and then hopefully progress.

“I remember when I took a team to Sutton for a pre-season friendly and we rolled the ball out to Dale Jasper on the edge of the box and Keith Blunt, who was a very good friend of mine turned to me and said, ‘you are not going to play like that in the Fourth Division are you?’ and I said ‘yes’. He just replied ‘good luck with that.’

“On the last day of the season at Tranmere, we were still rolling the ball to Dale Jasper and won promotion, so that dispels that myth that you cannot play football in the Fourth Division and do well.”